I was asked recently to share a list of writers I follow online. One of the beautiful things about writers who blog or post short writings is you get to see these writers outside of the published world. Anyone participating in the Slice of Life Challenge knows that writers express themselves in all kinds of formats — poems, lists, narratives, questions, etc.

Some of my favorite writers to follow:

Two Writing Teachers — This website is a mecca for writing teachers nationwide. During March, the site is filled with links to people who are blogging daily as part of the Slice of Life Challenge. Throughout the year, this website offers wonderful writing about craft, teaching and life.

Spoken word poets (Elizabeth Acevedo, Sarah Kay, Daniel Beatty & Kwame Alexander) — All of these spoken word poets have videos of their work online. I am not sure there is anything more powerful than the spoken word. Check out each author’s sites for moments of heart-piercing brilliance. Even better, see them live if you can!

Kate DiCamillo — I frequently share Kate DiCamillo’s Facebook posts with my students. She can take a walk down the street and describe the scene with such spectacular clarity that not only can I see the setting, I can feel the breeze. Kate DiCamillo is so busy her posts are short, but scroll back through her Facebook feed and you will find some lovely gems.

Jacqueline Woodson — Powerful, giving, reflective, unflinching — all these words can describe Jacqueline Woodson. Her verse memoir, Brown Girl Dreaming, is on my “top ten books of all time” list. Read her work, see her when she comes to town, follow her on Twitter/Instagram.

Nerdy Book Club — Every single day, I get an email alerting me to a new post on the Nerdy Book Club website. Guest blog posts from authors, teachers, students and all kinds of readers offer different views of the kid/YA reading world. This rich resource is at turns funny, touching and empowering. I was honored to provide a couple of posts and highly recommend you add your voice to the Nerdy Book community.

Kate Messner — Another prolific author I admire (as a writer and a human being) is Kate Messner. Kate’s blog is filled with posts about travel, her take on issues of the world and her writing. When you read Kate’s blog, you feel as if you have her journal in hand — sketches, notes and all. I learn a lot from reading Kate’s posts.

Jason Reynolds — Visit Jason Reynold’s blog and you will notice that the last post was in 2014. He is a very busy man these days. But, take some time to scroll through these older posts and you will see an intense artist burning bright before much of the world caught on.

Pernille Ripp — This woman is a fierce speaker. In addition, her writing life touches on a host of critical topics of today. As founder of the Global Read Aloud, Pernille brings people together around books. She is not afraid to speak her mind — a blessing for the rest of us!